


Heart Beat

by mspeachykeen2012



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Light Angst, M/M, Mystery, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 09:02:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12678699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mspeachykeen2012/pseuds/mspeachykeen2012
Summary: Wherein Sanghyuk wakes up one day to find that his heart no longer beats right and Taekwoon can't seem to sleep.





	1. Chapter 1

**19th Century**

 

                The feeling of being watched by thousands of people was unrivaled.

                The sound of just as many voices, shouting upwards was even more so.

                A person's sense of self-importance was unbridled when standing out on the balcony—or the ledge, as he preferred to call it.

                There were hordes of faces all squeezed together like gathered grapes set to be crushed. Their screams reached his ears a second later.

                To indifferent parents, this was nothing out of the ordinary. This was their people paying homage to the monarch that cared for them. This was the way of life—what would be unordinary is their silence.

                But this was special.

                That was dangerous.

                "Hello," he whispered, tears rushing to brim his eyes, knowing they could not hear him.

                They loved him just the same.

                Whether they knew his heart or not, they loved him blindly.

                "Come back from the edge," his keeper scolded from behind, a crooked arm held out.

                Lips curled, his small mouth spreading in a sinuous smile. "No."

                Instead, the thick sole of his riding boot landed on the stone lip of the ledge, his back leg bending slightly before hoisting him up.

                Teetering, the collective gasp below steadied his flailing arms and there was a zen-like moment where he was completely still.

                "Your highness—"

                "What do you think you're doing?!"

                The madness that came with being the most powerful youth in your world was not easily controlled.

                But as the wind blew through his dark hair, the tips of each strand tickling his pink cheeks, it was not insanity that had him watching the sea of people below. It was not an egotistical nature that made his decision reckless.

                "Where do you find exhilaration when nothing is beyond your reach?" he asked no one in particular.

                The crowd begged him to step back. His parents implored this behavior to cease at once. His keeper lost his mind—boiling as unintelligible words spilled from his cracked, aged lips.

                "How do you live when the only time you can truly feel is at death's door?"

                The noise bled out of his mind, eyes raising to the powder blue sky. A cloud was close, arms switching position as he raised a hand to it.

                "What is the point?"

                "Come down so we may discuss such a notion."

                That voice, light and sensitive, carried in the breeze. It was immediately hushed, pushed further back into the recesses of the castle.

                The arch of his foot twisted against the stone as he looked back over his shoulder, gaze catching the naturally fine eyes of his personal guard. Breathing in the same air as the other, he narrowed his gaze in an affectionate glare.

                "Perhaps in another life."

                Leg swinging forward, the blood curdling scream from a woman swept past him, noise suspended as his final step was hundreds of feet below him, eyes slipping close from the drop. The single pound of his heart was the last thing he felt before the white of the world went dark.

 

**Present Day**

 

                Sanghyuk's eyes opened—not forcefully but unnaturally fast. His vision, normally fuzzy upon morning, was clear as day.

                And there was a moment of panic.

                He wasn't breathing.

                Opening his mouth in a desperate attempt, he suddenly realized his arms wouldn't move, couldn't come to his own rescue as his brow knit from the effort. His chest hiccupped in response, eyes starting to loll backwards, his view rolling with it.

                A half beat—a hollow, blood rushing beat of his heart echoed amongst his struggle and suddenly cold rushed to fill in the channels throughout his body.

                Another thump finally came as the scene replayed itself, lips starting to tingle before a harrowing cyclone of oxygen entered his diaphragm and the gasp that followed jerked his entire body up, sheets pooling around his waist.

                Tears flooded his vision, blurred now and it was caustic, the soft flesh of his throat burning, his mind singed from the lactic acid built upon his lungs.

                Hands, now working, grabbed at his heart with curled fingers, clawing at the middle of his chest as if opening it would alleviate any pressure. But the anxiety was slowly subsiding as the air was leaving his mouth and just as quickly, flooding back into his system.

                He could breathe.

                Wasn't falling.

                Wasn't about to die.

                Wasn't saying goodbye.

                He could breathe again.

                Noticing the quivering of his muscles, he blinked at his hands that now lay still over his heart.

                A light beat.

                Pause.

                Nothing.

                This wasn't real. He was still dreaming, he convinced himself. No heart ever beat in a single thump. It wasn't humanly possible.

                Yet…

                Palms pressing into his sternum, he squeezed his eyes shut, small tears leaking from the corners. He listened hard.

                Another barely there beat.

                Slapping a hand into his throat, Sanghyuk breathed in deeply.

                Nothing.

                Brow furrowing, lips curving into a deep frown, he waited.

                Nothing.

                Nothing.

                Nothing.

                A half beat.


	2. Chapter 2

                Bending down to pick up the cloth diaper that needed folding, Taekwoon paused, throwing a glance over to his nephew who sat in his colorful bouncy chair. The sun was shining through the large windows and his nephew loved to play in its rays, chunky thighs pushing him along the hardwood floor. Straightening, Taekwoon waved.

                The baby giggled.

                Quickly folding the diaper into fourths, Taekwoon laid it on the table where the rest of the infant's laundry laid. Bending down once more, he reached for the child this time, bringing him to sit on the futon with him.

                His older sister and her husband had a quaint studio, the futon (and the television in front of it) where Taekwoon spent most of his time.

                "Are you going to be a good boy and take that nap?" he murmured, laying the baby along his chest, patting his back soothingly. "Uncle has some homework to do."

                It was an arrangement that worked out well—his sister got a babysitter while she and her husband were at work and Taekwoon had a place to get some studying done. At least during the few hours of sleep his nephew would eventually take. The rest of the day, he did some chores around the house, watched television, got ready to attend his graduate classes at night.

                It worked out well, he hummed as he heard the quiet babble of his nephew against his shoulder. Smiling, Taekwoon reached for the remote.

                "—the doctors can't explain it."

                A whine stretched from the infant in his arms so Taekwoon stood, pacing back and forth in front of the large television.

                "He's been seen by all of the leading cardiology experts in the country. A world renowned specialist from Tokyo has been contacted. The family can only hope he can solve this young man's mystery."

                Eyes finally found the screen, a grainy video of a young man with a white face mask being hurried through hospital doors, towards a dark van. There were reporters and onlookers all crowding around him, his head bent, ink black hair shading his face.

                "Just close those eyes," Taekwoon whispered absently, looping around and bouncing his nephew. Walking past a mirror on the wall, he smiled when he saw the long blink of the child.

                Continuing his pacing, Taekwoon turned his face back to the television.

                "Han Sanghyuk, of Daejeon, the man with no heartbeat," the newscaster ended solemnly. Taekwoon stopped, hand paused on the back of his nephew.

                The screen was suddenly filled with this man, his head raised, the mask covering most of this face.

                All but his eyes, the pair looking back at the camera. Back at Taekwoon. The screen froze there.

                Taekwoon stood still, eyes wide and watching. Watching this person.

                Gaze narrowing, he abruptly felt his stomach hollow out but his legs wouldn't move. His body wouldn't budge and as he stared into those eyes, his breath coming out in steady hums, the child in his arms fell quiet.

                Han Sanghyuk.

                Blinking, Taekwoon was still standing but now it was night, his nephew no longer in his arms. In a panic, he looked down to the area by his feet. Then he looked over, to his sister who was smiling at her son, speaking to someone over her shoulder.

                "Taekwoon, did you want to eat before heading out?"

                Frantically looking around, he finally settled on his hands. The last thing he remembered, he had been standing there, holding his sleeping nephew. Eyes found the window, the dusk evening dark this time of year.

                It had just been a little past noon the last he remembered.

                Han Sanghyuk.

                "Ah yes, that man with the heart right?"

                Taekwoon turned slowly towards his sister. "What?" he mumbled.

                She raised an eyebrow, twisting to rest her child on her hip as she came to him. Placing a gentle palm on his forehead, she clucked her tongue.

                "You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you ok?"

                "What about the man?"

                "You said his name," she said, looking at him peculiarly. "Isn't he the one with the heart thing. Its not a palpitation—honey, what does that man have? The one with the heart?"

                She said it three times now and Taekwoon reached out and grabbed her arm.

                "What does that mean?"

                His brother in law came in, wiping his hands on his work slacks. "Ah, they said his heart doesn't beat."

                "Bullshit."

                "Taekwoon!" Then his sister's forehead bunched. "What is wrong with you?"

                Shaking his head, Taekwoon breathed deeply, turning his head slowly towards the television that sat blank.

                "Taekwoon, are you ill?"

                Whipping around, he bent down and scooped his knapsack off the ground, nearly falling over from the force. Ripping the door open, he grumbled his goodbyes.

                Then he halted, knowing he was most likely late to class. Knowing the train was going to be packed with rush hour traffic.

                But none of that had any bearing on him as he stared into the bright hallway of the apartment complex.

                Han Sanghyuk's eyes was all that mattered now.

 

~

 

                With his head sinking into the worn pillow, Taekwoon stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't see it, his eyes focused but not relaying the message of what he saw. Instead, they blinked at the image of Sanghyuk's eyes.

                Pained, scared and a little other worldly.

                Because Sanghyuk was scaring everyone around him, no one able to decide whether he was a miracle or an abomination. And when they decided to go public with his case it was because no one—not the doctors, not the pious men, no one—could figure it out. And they needed help.

                Han Sanghyuk, the man whose heart didn't beat like it should.

                Taekwoon closed his eyes at the mention of it from Sanghyuk's own quivering lips, fear seeping into each word.

                "I don't know what it is. It all, it all just started with a bad dream."

                Clenching his eyes, Taekwoon prayed for sleep.

                It had been three days since he had seen Sanghyuk's story, it had been three days since he had furiously researched everything he could about the young man and his peculiar situation.

                It had been three days since he closed his eyes to sleep.

                No matter what he did, what he ate or what he drank, Taekwoon couldn't keep his eyes shut long enough to rest.

                His body was fatigued but his mind was still sharp and in that, he willed himself to go into the kitchen and take another sleep aid. It was the fourth in the last two hours but nothing was helping.

                "You're going to kill yourself doing that."

                Taekwoon sighed, blinking heavy, aching eyes. "Maybe then I'll sleep."

                "Go in," his roommate said, reaching into the refrigerator for a bottle of water. "Insomnia is usually a symptom of something bad."

                "This isn't insomnia," Taekwoon mumbled to himself, leaning against the cabinets. His roommate paused, then continued back to his bedroom. "This isn't fucking insomnia."

                When he closed his eyes, he saw the image again. The one that always forced his eyes back open in fright.

                A man, dressed in fine clothes from another time, standing on a ledge. He was watching Taekwoon from over his shoulder. His mouth twisted in a beautiful, heartbreaking smile.

                Then he jumped.

                Eyes bouncing open, Taekwoon scrubbed at his face.


	3. Chapter 3

                Sanghyuk's back flexed uncomfortably as he turned in the hospital bed, the tape on his arm—the one keeping the IV lodged securely in his vein—pulling slightly.

                Glaring, a lofty sigh spilled from his mouth as he settled on his side.

                He was in Seoul, the latest group of doctor's shaking their heads as they left. They had never seen anything like it, had never thought they'd ever see the day where a man's heart could stop beating for a whole 30 seconds and nothing change.

                A nurse had called Sanghyuk the walking dead, averting her eyes when he looked at her.

                Raising his gaze, he stared at the heart monitor. It hadn't beeped in a while and he blinked at it, troubled eyes waiting.

                A quick beep sounded out, the flat line spiking in a small curve before flattening again.

                He was healthy, the majority of his vital signs positive and those of an active 26 year old male.

                But his heart… it didn't always beat right.

                Sometimes, it didn't beat at all.

                Feeling the tear drip over the bridge of his nose, Sanghyuk gave in to the sleep that pulled at his body.

 

~

 

                Taekwoon smiled.

                Then he remembered where he was, who he was looking at. His professor gave him a strange expression then focused back to her computer.

                "So it looks like you failed to complete two out of the five papers. At this point Taekwoon," she sighed. "If you somehow pull perfect marks, you could pass. Barely." She narrowed her eyes at him. "And I mean perfect marks."

                Taekwoon frowned then leaned into his hands, running them through his oily hair. His professor made a noise somewhere between empathetic and resignation.

                "You look like hell, Taekwoon. Have you been in to see a doctor?"

                Scratching at his scalp, Taekwoon righted himself. He stared at his professor with dead eyes. Dark, ashen bags sat beneath them and his skin, normally pale, was now ghoulish.

                He hadn't slept in over two weeks and he was starting to ponder his own existence.

                Lips slowly curving, he saw the man on the ledge. Only this time, he was facing him. Calling Taekwoon near, folding him into his arms.

                They'd both jump just as their lips met.

                "Taekwoon, that's it! I am calling an ambulance."

                Taekwoon blinked back to reality, realizing he was on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

                He just wanted to sleep.

 

~

 

                Sanghyuk perked up, hearing his mother shuffle in and out of his room. She smiled when she noticed him watching, breezing over to wipe his hair off his forehead.

                "Your father is outside, getting something from the vending machine. You want to go meet him?"

                Shaking his head, Sanghyuk dug his face back into the pillow. The heart monitor beeped and he heard his mother, her soft gasp. But then it was silent and her sigh was dense against his body. She wanted him back to normal, face sagging as her fingers trembled against his forehead.

                "I wish I could take this away from you," she murmured, pursing her lips against his hair line.

                Sanghyuk remembered what his life had been before, how he would light up his mother's eyes the moment she saw him. He was warm and outgoing and headed towards something great. He had the rest of his life—the life he hadn't realized he loved—before him and when he had gone to bed, he had gone to bed knowing he was going to wake up the next morning.

                Sniffling, Sanghyuk willed himself to go to sleep. At least there, he met the stranger who made him feel alive again.

                He woke up hours later, around 11 pm and the lights were dimmed outside of his room. He could hear the nurse's at their station, laughing before being hushed. Sanghyuk hadn't stepped out of his room in days.

                What was the point?

                Squeezing his eyes closed, he suddenly saw the stranger in his sleep, the man who called for him beyond a black shadow. He was always shouting for him, tears in his throat as he stretched his hand out for Sanghyuk.

                Once or twice, he caught him and his touch felt like water to the thirsty, food to the starving. But that was when Sanghyuk would wake up, panting and pining, wishing he could go back.

                "Up again?" Sanghyuk heard one of the nurses say, her footsteps tapping along the floor right outside of his room.

                "Still nothing?" Another asked and at this point, Sanghyuk realized he was straining to hear. Who were they talking to? What were they talking about?

                "Nothing," came the reply and it was so incredibly heavy, Sanghyuk almost smiled.

                Yeah, his heart wasn't working but it could be worse, right?

                Lips falling back down into a grimace, Sanghyuk settled back in bed. Turning away from the door, he stared out the window at the starless night instead.

                He was the walking dead but at least he didn't sound like it… yet.

 

~

 

                The nurse who reminded Taekwoon of his grandma shook her head, putting a hand to his shoulder. Her dialect was thick, she was from the south and it was oddly soothing. Sometimes, despite his bravado, he wished she'd sing to him.

                Maybe then he could find some rest.

                Not that he held any hope any more. It had been a week in the hospital, test after test coming back negative. He didn't have any ailment known to man and the doctors always told his sisters and parents like it was a relief.

                "At least he doesn't have this."

                But what did that mean when he couldn't sleep? His mind, strong in the beginning, was starting to wane from consciousness to unreality seamlessly. His body, though also tired, was holding up much better.

                So he had started walking around the hospital unit floor at night. He was beginning to get cramps from lying in bed, and while it was too busy during the light hours, the night staff was considerably quieter.

                They also had all the best gossip.

                There were four nurses Taekwoon had become close with and they always looked for him when he started wandering.

                "I had a good feeling about tonight," one of them moaned when she saw him up and about. He just smiled tiredly and she leaned over the counter. "Well did you at least see the man of your dreams tonight?"

                He laughed at her joke—the one she always told—and she grinned triumphant.

                "It's supposed to snow tonight, I just hope it clears up by the time I leave tomorrow." Another was always complaining about real life things and Taekwoon appreciated her so much. He loved remembering what life had been like before.

                "Taekwoon-ah, you need some socks."

                He looked down at his sandal clad feet, about to turn down the offer (if it was even his choice to) but then heard the nurse head towards the end of the hall. That was where they kept the supplies—gowns, blankets, socks, etc.

                Taekwoon had seen it all, had learned every inch of this unit.

                Deciding to follow her, Taekwoon waved slightly at another of his favorite nurses, her sweet smile widening as she continued charting.

                "Don't stay up all night, Mr. Jung," she teased.

                Bowing his head with a grin, he suddenly thought of his nephew. Did he miss him? Did he miss sitting in front of the television with Taekwoon? Did he miss the songs he'd sing him when he was tired or fussy?

                Sighing, Taekwoon raised his head with resolution. Sometimes he felt like giving up, felt like leaping off the building just as the man in his day dreams did.

                Other times, like now, he pushed through it.

                At the end of the hallway, he heard his nurse rummaging in the closet.

                "I know you're there," she laughed lightly, as to not disturb anyone in the rooms around them. Taekwoon's face relaxed and he stopped at the doorway right before the closet, absently looking into the patient room on the corner.

                The man inside was hooked up to machines and always had his back turned towards the door, face towards the big windows. Eyebrows raising, Taekwoon felt his heart flutter at the snowflakes that fell.

                "It's snowing," he whispered.

                Slowly, the man in the bed lifted his head, Taekwoon freezing. He hadn't meant to say that aloud. He hadn't meant to wake up the patient in that room.

                "It is," he heard in response.

                Face falling, Taekwoon felt his bones start to ache, felt his fingertips start to go numb.

                Eyes rolling back in his head, the whites of his eyes all that was visible, Taekwoon's core started seizing, limbs giving out from under him as he smacked into the floor.

                "Taek—?! Oh my god, assistance! I need assistance!"

                That was the last thing Taekwoon heard before the white of his world turned black.


	4. Chapter 3.5

**19th Century**

 

                Delicate fingers, soft with cocoa butter and rose water, danced lightly across his chest. The night was dark and the wind was relentless, howling beyond the castle walls.

                But they were warm inside, they were comforted against each other and when those fingers curled around his side, the guard exhaled. His weapons were leaning against the door, his clothes and armors shed on the way to the bed.

                The only place he ever felt at ease.

                "Just admit you love me."

                Lips quirking, the fireplace raging with orange, he cocked an eyebrow looking down at the head of jet black hair, short between his fingers.

                "Your highness…" he said gently.

                There was a slight guffaw, a puff of breath hitting his naked chest. "Yes?"

                The guard smiled at the crown of hair laying on him but stayed silent.

                "You know it's disrespectful to keep something so important from your prince."

                Twisting, his lover raised his head, catching his black eyes. Reaching up with both hands, the guard grabbed his ears, pulling him close. Noses brushing, the prince sighed against his mouth, pursing his lips as their bodies relaxed.

                "I already know it to be true. So why not just say it?"

                Licking into the young man's mouth, the guard evaded the question.

                Pulling away, the prince grinned, shiny lips reflecting the yellow from the fire across from them in the large palatial bedroom. He rested his head on the guard's own.

                "Luckily, I can tell in the way you watch me," the prince blinked into his lover's eyes.

                "Tis the duty of a personal guard," the other explained easily.

                "Then there is the way you smile at me."

                "I am but a loyal subject."

                "Surely, you can't refute the way you touch me."

                There was a pause, the prince's eyes growing until they closed with his widening smile. The guard simply answered with a smirk.

                "A man has needs."

                "Oh!" the prince roared, slapping at his lover's head, falling against him in the process, their laughter echoing off of the moist walls. Winter was unforgiving but inside, here they were safe.

                Settling back against the naked chest of his personal guard, the one who would die for him should the occasion ever arise, the prince closed his eyes.

                "Your soul speaks to me every night, whispers the secrets you keep," he murmured, swallowing roughly as he felt fingers curl into his hair, before tracing the shell of his ear.

                "I love you, my prince."

                Sighing, lips pursed against sweet skin that smelled of home. "I love you too. And when I leave this world, I promise I shall find you in the next."

 

-

 

                The following night, the kingdom was in mourning. Their prince, heir to the throne, had jumped to his death.


	5. Chapter 4

                "Call for the RRT—call the RRT!"

                Sanghyuk sat frozen in his bed as he watched the convulsing man lying in his doorway.

                Then his body jerked, diving from the bed before skidding to a halt right in front of the body. Dropping to his knees, trembling hands reached for the stranger. Despite the nurses trying to render aid, Sanghyuk grabbed him, entangling their fingers that shook from his tremors.

                Sanghyuk released a whimper.

                Then he was violently removed, a nurse blocking him from the patient. "Get back," she growled, causing a second of doubt.

                Then Sanghyuk's body moved again, his hands reaching as more healthcare personnel crowded around the man having a seizure.

                "I said get back!" she hollered, this time grabbing his shoulders and physically shoving him. Sanghyuk's eyes closed from the action, hands coming to his face.

                "No!" he screamed back, sniffling as he wiped at his cheeks. He hadn't realized he had started crying, wondering when he had become so emotional. Blinking teary eyes, he stared at the mess of people, all trying to help in some form. They had gotten the patient off the floor and onto a stretcher, racing out of the room and down the hallway. Sanghyuk gasped at the exit.

                Hands coming to join on his chest, he took an exaggeratedly ragged breath.

                A nurse rushed to him, cranking her head towards the others. "One of you—come here!"

                Nails digging into his skin, Sanghyuk scratched at his gown, hiccupping at the tiny splinters of pain. He felt like his breaths were cut in half and he wheezed as he beat at his sternum.

                "Stop that!" the nurses yelled, trying to restrain him.

                "It hurts—It hurts so bad!" Sanghyuk cried out in anguish, bones feeling as if they were cracking from the inside out, a tunnel of pain funneling around his body. He quaked in agony, groaning as he clawed at his chest.

                Then it stopped.

                 His head tilted up, a blue haze draping his vision. The noise fell out of the room, the holds disappeared and he was now watching a cloud in the sky, so close he could touch it. The breeze swept against his skin. Sanghyuk could feel eyes on his back as he spread his arms out.

                  "I found him."

                  Smiling, Sanghyuk fell into the arms of the nurse and they both slid to the ground. Her face screwed together. She brought her arms tighter around him, mouth opening in a gasp.

                "H-heartbeat! He has a heartbeat!"

 

-

 

                Warm, gentle hands caressed his cheeks. Pink colored his vision as he watched his lover put his forehead to his own, their breath mingling against their skin. He smiled, lips pursing as his throat worked.

                "I told you," his lover murmured against his mouth. "I told you."

                Nodding with a shudder, adam's apple bobbing as he pressed his mouth against the other's. "You left me."

                "And now I am here," was whispered in return.

                "He's awake!"

                "Taekwoon, honey. Taekwoon can you hear me?"

                His eyelids were heavy and the darkness behind his eyes was beyond enticing. But there were more insistent pleas, his middle sister's cries ringing out in the black. Fluttering, Taekwoon groaned and opened his eyes. He saw the face of his mother.

                Then he remembered the man—that man.

                "Whe… is he?" Taekwoon rasped. Then he whined, his world tilting.

                 He tried to sit up but two sets of hands pushed him back down. There were also needles beneath his skin and electrodes under his gown, connecting him to pumps and bags. Agitated, he reached up to rip at them but he was restrained further.

                "Don't you dare move," his mother warned, as if she'd box him over the head. Taekwoon stared at her.

                "Where is he?" This time he didn't move, but he felt the energy start to swarm, could feel their questions and their hesitation. His gaze moved to his sisters, then to their spouses as they all crowded the bed. Their puffy faces and their haggard appearances spoke volumes and for a lofty moment, Taekwoon wanted to ask what happened.

                Then he remembered.

                "You had a seizure."

                "Wasn't a seizure," he corrected. Then his eyes closed. "Where?"

                There was silence, the mechanical sounds of the machines pulsing throughout the tension filled room. Taekwoon made a face, starting to sit up.

                "Let me see him."

                "Who is he?" his father demanded, then softened his features. "Please, just… who is he?"

                Struggling against the weight of all of them, Taekwoon started to breathe deeper. His sister reached down and put her fingers to his arm.

                "We'll bring him. But you need to rest first—"

                "I can't lose him again," Taekwoon moaned, brow furrowing. He was starting to get hot, sweat prickling at his temple.

                "Again?"

                "Jesus, somebody get a nurse, see if—"

                "Is he awake?"

                All their heads turned towards the door, Han Sanghyuk leaning against the jamb. He was holding on to his IV pole and there was a crowd beyond him.

                "We tried to stop him," one woman voiced, Sanghyuk taking a slow step towards them. Taekwoon's family all just watched his approach, parting when he made it to the bedside. Releasing the metal pole, Sanghyuk met Taekwoon's eyes.

                Gazes filling with tears, they remembered together the very moment they collided, their love enveloping them until there was no need to move, no need to think. Their souls had met and melded, coiled until there was no beginning or end.

                The prince had found his guard, centuries later.

                Taekwoon blinked through his tears. He didn't look like him, but he knew he was staring at the man from his day dreams. The one who looked over his shoulder at Taekwoon, and jumped.

                Sanghyuk reached for Taekwoon's hand, fingers slipping against each other and the young man coughed into a sob. Taekwoon's nostrils flared as he watched Sanghyuk cry, bringing their hands to his chest.

                Taekwoon's eyes widened.

                Mustering up all the energy he could, he pulled Sanghyuk's to him, reaching up with the other hand, gently tugging on the younger man's earlobe. Sanghyuk just cried harder.  

                Fingers lightly curling around his ear, Sanghyuk held Taekwoon's wrist, rubbing his wet cheek against the other's palm.

                Drawing slightly, Sanghyuk let go and put his hand to the hospital bed. Ignoring the protests of both families, he easily laid alongside Taekwoon, weak arms coming around his shoulders. There were wires and tubes and it was a mess of inorganic material but they laid against each other for the first time.

                They laid against each other like they had done this before.

                "You finally found me," Taekwoon whispered and Sanghyuk swallowed against the knot in his throat, loud in Taekwoon's ears. He shifted slowly, delicately, resting his tear stained face against Taekwoon's chest, fingers curling into the gown. Taekwoon leaned his chin against the top of his head.

                 "I finally found you," Sanghyuk wept.


	6. Chapter 5

  "Eh eh."

               Sanghyuk looked up, lips parting as he saw the line of nurses all staring at him from across the nurse's station.

               "Is he sleeping?" he asked, their eyes flying to the room he was currently outside of. Then they all smiled, the oldest of the group shaking her head.

               "Go on, give him some company," she said and Sanghyuk nodded.

               Walking in, his hands reached behind him for the door. Gently closing it, he started towards the bed only to find it empty.

               Hair flexing on his neck, his eyes darted to every corner of the room.

               The toilet flushed, the sound of the faucet rushing briefly echoing. Sanghyuk steeled his spine, getting ready for the look on Taekwoon's face when he came out of the bathroom.

               It did not disappoint, and whether the reason was how absurd this was or the fact that they were in love without knowing each other, Taekwoon's surprise was delicious.

               "Hi," Sanghyuk murmured.

               Taekwoon wiped his knuckles on his gown. "Hi."

               "Do you need help?"

               At Taekwoon's shake of his head, Sanghyuk looked down. Then at the bed. It was rumpled and the sheets were pushed all the way to the right, bunched and wrinkled. Scratching at his jaw, he stretched out his hand.

               Taekwoon took it, hesitant fingers tightening as Sanghyuk led him to his bed. Then he sat at the edge of it, patting the space beside him.

               "You're off the IV," Sanghyuk said as he settled next to Taekwoon, their thighs touching. He clasped his hands in front of him, crossing his ankles. Eyes traveling, he finally turned to face the other.

               "You didn't hear?" At Sanghyuk's raised eyebrows, Taekwoon settled into an indulgent smile. "All I needed was some sleep."

               "Pfft."

               Taekwoon chuckled as Sanghyuk put his hands behind him, leaning against them. He peered at Taekwoon over the round of his nose.

               "What do you think it was?"

               Sanghyuk felt the warmth start to invade his senses, the comfort level rise around them. It was almost like it pulsed within them, lying in wait for either of them to acknowledge it.

               The past couple of days had been spent gradually getting accustomed to it.

               They were absolute strangers, but there was something inside them that was familiar. There was something celestial that drew them together and they didn't know why or when or where.

               Just knew they couldn't be without each other.

               Taekwoon spread his knees, resting his elbows on them. Sanghyuk followed the bumps of his spine, watched as his ribs showed with each inhale. The older man buried his fingers into his hair.

               "You were in my dreams," Sanghyuk started, eyes softening. "In the beginning I was so scared, because I was always jumping. There was never a night that passed where I didn't… I was so scared, but I had to.

               "And then you showed up, screaming for me." Closing his eyes, he pushed the sound from his mind. "Your soul reached for me every time I stood on the edge."

               Taekwoon closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

               "You had the same dreams."

               It wasn't a question though it wasn't completely a statement. It was a feeling, an intuition that if right, meant the universe ruled their destiny. It didn't matter Sanghyuk had a girlfriend or Taekwoon was not looking for another heartbreak after the last, the cosmos said they were to find each other. By any means necessary, the universe had brought them together.

               Sanghyuk averted his gaze when Taekwoon looked at him, pursing his lips to quell his smile.

               "I didn't sleep so they weren't dreams. But," Taekwoon sighed. "You were on that fucking ledge and I couldn't get to you fast enough. I did though, a couple times," he chuckled shortly without humor. "I caught you—"

               "I know. I felt it."

               Narrowed eyes slowly traveled up to Sanghyuk's serious face.

               "Those nights," he said. "Those nights I willed myself back to sleep just to feel you again. Your hands on me felt like—" Suddenly Sanghyuk paused, rouge blooming on his cheeks and neck.

               Taekwoon smiled softly. "Euphoria?"

               "That's a better term for it," Sanghyuk laughed, face falling a second later. "I chased it every time I closed my eyes."

               They sat silent for a little more, the whirr of the machines quiet compared to their thundering heart beats.

               There was a noise, a gasp of sorts and Sanghyuk found Taekwoon's eyes still on him. They stared back at each other, feeling their cores twist the same. They knew each other—not the details, no. They didn't know the trials and tribulations of their separate lives. They didn't know their aspirations and dreams, their wants, their needs.

               But Taekwoon knew Sanghyuk's heart, the one that beat double time every time he got too close. The one that pumped red when Taekwoon touched his skin, the one that fluttered every time he tugged at his ear.

               "Why do you do that?" Sanghyuk asked, the other withdrawing his hand and looking at it like he couldn't remember doing so. Then he laughed.

               "I have no idea, I… I just do."

               Sanghyuk grabbed Taekwoon's hand, covering it with his own. "So what happens now?"

               The dreaded question, the unknown answer.

               "I feel like we go our separate ways," Taekwoon muttered, starting to bounce his leg. "I mean, you have a life out there. I'm not sure what even exists between us. What this all means, you know?"

               The younger man took in a deep breath, rubbing the pad of his thumb over Taekwoon's big knuckles. He brought it to his mouth, pursing his lips against the soft skin. Taekwoon's toes curled.

               "I don't think we have a choice, Taekwoon. Every time I'm away from you, I want to be with you. I want to be next to you. I find myself counting minutes until I see you again and the relief I feel when I'm close is… more than I've ever dealt with."

               Sanghyuk smiled. "So I don't think we have the option of saying goodbye."

               The warmth that wrapped around their bones tightened and Taekwoon leaned into Sanghyuk, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

               "I have this weird feeling you've convinced me before," Taekwoon admitted.

               Sanghyuk's chest soared. "I can always find a job in Seoul."

               Blinking, the older man leaned his chin against Sanghyuk's shoulder. "I could always enroll in a school in Daejeon."

               Tilting his head, Taekwoon's nose brushed against Sanghyuk's mouth, their eyes meeting.

 

-

 

               "Taekwoon-ah, are you going to come back and visit?"

               The look on his face said it all but the night nurses, staying well past their shift, crowded the discharge office. They gave him hugs, the older one—the one he called grandma—kissed his cheek putting a hand to her mouth.

               "Please visit," she sniffled, blinking.

               "Of course."

               Looking behind him, he saw his family in the waiting room. They were trying to be patient but they wanted him home. His nephew wriggled in his sister's arms.

               "Good luck, honey."

               Nodding, Taekwoon gave them one final look before walking out of the ward. His mother clasped her hands together, then reached for him.

               It felt good to walk outside, use his body for more than just 30 minutes a day. Smiling, he hugged all of them once. He held his nephew in his arms, humming as the little boy grabbed at his face before reaching for his mother.

                It felt good to feel like he was in his own body again.

               Ambling outside, Taekwoon shielded his eyes from the sun. Immediately, his mother dug in her purse and shoved a pair of sunglasses at him but he refused them. Instead, he kept his hand above his eyes, narrowing his gaze on the man ahead of them.

               Sanghyuk had been released from the hospital before Taekwoon. The older man had a little bit longer recovery due to the seizure and while he was able to sleep again, the doctors had wanted him to stabilize before release.

                If he was honest, the hospital didn't feel the same without Sanghyuk. And despite the fact that the younger man came every day to visit, he felt Sanghyuk's trepidation as he walked towards him. He could feel the eagerness against his skin.

               Taekwoon stopped right in front of him, blinking quietly.

               Sanghyuk smiled bashfully, bringing his hands to Taekwoon's cheeks, soft and warm. Putting his forehead against his, their souls melded for a moment, their mouths meeting in the next. Lips moved against each other gently, a slight hiss at the first spark of Taekwoon's tongue as it ran along the edge of Sanghyuk's teeth.

                Pulling back, Taekwoon rested his face against the crook of Sanghyuk's neck, wrapping his arms around the younger man's waist. Sanghyuk's long arms curled around his shoulders and they stood there, holding each other.

               "Um."

               Pulling away regretfully, each touch a new memory of their lives before, Taekwoon smiled. Sanghyuk returned it, pecked it briefly before looking over his shoulder at Taekwoon's family.

               Both of their families thought their sudden connection was some type of shared response to post traumatic stress. The events, how utterly bizarre and completely uncanny, led to some sort of mutual experience and it was all they could do to explain that their sons were inexplicably taken with each other.  

               But Sanghyuk and Taekwoon knew the truth: they were universal soulmates in the previous life, this life and the next. No matter how far they roamed, eventually, they would always be brought back to each other.

               Taekwoon reached down and grabbed Sanghyuk's hand, ready to finally begin.

**The End**


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